Gang lawn-mower.



c, c. WQRTHINGTON.

GANG LAWN NIOWER.

APPLICATION FILED Nov. 26. 19,13.

Lgega Patented Jan. 2,1917.' 5 SHEETS-SHEET l.

C. C. WORTHINGTON. SANG LAWN Mowau APPLICATION FILED NOV.16, |913.

Patented Jan. 2, 1917.

5 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

E. C. WORTHINGTON.

GANG LAWN MOWER.

APPLICATION FILI-:D Nov. 26. 1913.

m@ Ptentedr Jan. 2, 1917.

II- I "IIIII C. C. WORTHINGTQN. GANG LAWN MOWER.

APPLICATION man Nov. ze. 1913.

3 wwe/Moz 5 SHEETS-SHEET 4.

Patented Jan. 2, 1917.

CHARLES AC. WORTHINGTON, OF DUNFIELD, NEW JERSEY.

GANG LAWN-MDWER.

ll,2ll,879.

Specicatidon of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 2, i917.

Application filed November 26, 1913. Serial No. 803,296.

surface and without tendency to cut or in jure the turf.

The invention also attains other objects having to do with theestablishment and maintenance of a proper cutting relation of the knifemechanism to the ground, the adjustment of the same to gage thecloseness of the cut, or to remove the said mechanism entirely fromcutting relation, and also other.

objects which will be hereinafter made apparent.

The inventionresides especially in the organization of the framework andthe several mower units, which it spaces and unites, so that the weightof said frame and any other weight thereon, such as that of the operatoror driver, is always distributed equally on all the ground wheels nomatter what angle any pair of wheels may assume with'reference to theothers, when turning corners or when passing irregularities of groundsur'- face, or both, the advantage of this part of the invention beingthat under no possible condition of use of the machine, can thedistribution of the weight be disturbed so as to cause any wheel to cutthe turf from being overloaded. u

ln the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a top plan of one form oftheinvention, with a portion broken away for convenience. Fig. 2 is alside elevation.' Fig. 3 is a rear elevation. taken transversely of oneof the rear mowers. Figs. 5. 6 and 7, are details-later explained; andFigs. 8, 9 and 10 arediagrammatic representations of modified anddeveloped forms.l

, The machine comprises a gang of three or more mower units arranged eneehelon,

Fig. 4 is a broken section View' the gang consists of three mower unitsas in Figs. l to 4, two are placed side by side, constituting the rearrow, and the other is placed centrally in front of them, constitutingthe front row, but the principle of the invention will be observed toapply also to the reverse arrangement as shown in Fig. 8, where the twounits are in front and the third in rear. The mower units themselves maybe understood to be standard lawn mowers familiar to the art; the detailof their mechanical construction is of no consequence to this invention.rFhey comprise in general a rotary knife or cutter mechanism, marked 5,which is rotated at high velocity by means of concealed gearingconnected to one or both of the groundwheels 6, also termed drivingwheels. The space between the two ground wheels is spanned by a rod 14,herein and commonly termed the axle, inasmuch as it coincides with theaxes of the said wheels, but the said rod is non-rotary and constitutespart of the framework of the mower unit, rigidly attached to the twoside plates or gear-housings 24 at each side. The wiper roller 7, isjournaled inthe ends of these side plates, immediately in rear of therotary cutter, and -said roller with the two ground wheels constitutethe means by whichv the mower unit normally rests upon the ground.

rlhe gang of mower units arranged as above explained constitutes thesole support for the framework which unites and maintains them in theirprescribed arrangement and ofcourse also supports the driver andwhatever other devices may be placed upon it. rlhe framework in Figs. lto 4 is composed of a wooden cross-piece or beam 8, disposed directlyover and parallel with the axles of the two rear units, a reach-piece10, bolted and braced to the center of the cross piece 8, and a forwardcross-piece 9 disposed directly over the axle f of the front mower andconnected to the reach-piece by a vertical king-pin 1l constituting afifth-wheel construction shown in Fig. 7. Said con struction comprisestwo usual face plates secured by countersunk bolts to the top and .rearcross-piece 8, and are fitted by their vcrotched ends upon the centralpoints of the axles, 14, of each of the rear units. The other post a issimilarly secured to the` front cross-piece 9, being appropriately boredto receive the end of the king-boltll thereof, and isl similarly fitted,by its crotch, to the center of the front mower axle. The connection orengagement yof each bearing post with its axle is in the nature of apivotal joint having a horizontal axis, which thus,

permits the mowers to assume dierent angles with respect to thehorizontal as they travel over irregular ground,Av and the said pivotalconnection is maintained at the ceny ter of the/ mower axle by means oftwo collars 17 set-screwed thereon at each. side of the crotch. yAsshown in Fig. 7, the interior ofthe crotch of the post 15 is'rounded,forming in effect a rolling or rocker-bearing. In order to preventtwisting strains in these\ bearing posts and preserve the mowers truewith the frame, the latter is provided with a pair of drivingv posts 13for each mower, which posts are rigidly bolted to the frame,v one oneach side of the bearing posts 15 and 15a, and extend downwardlyat'eac'h side to a point below the lowest possible position of thetilting axle, at the rear side of the said axle, and close to the groundwheels thereof.` One of these posts is separately'shown in Fig. y5; theflat sides are faced forwardly for engagement by the rear sides of theaxle and constitute sliding connections resisting backward thrust of themowers regardless of what vertical angles they may assume. Undue strainon the king-bolt 11 orifth-wheel construction is prevented by an obliquebrace 19 extending from the under side ofthe reach piece to the lowerend o f the forward bearing post 15a at, which point the said brace fitsthe post by a crotch bearing or in any suitable manner not hindering theturning of the post therein as it turns with the cross-piece 9. Adrivers seat 12 is mounted', on the reach piece 10, and a horse may behitched to the machine by the shafts il attached to the cross-piece ofthe front or main mower, although other traction means may of course beused.

It will be apparent that as the superimposed frame is supported at threepoints in fixed relation to each other, each mower must always bear aixed proportion of the weight and also, `since each bearing point is atthe mid-point of a mower, each ground wheel of each mower bears asubstantially -constant proportion of the weight. The construction ofthe frame Laid-eve and the location of the operators seat thereon are soarranged that a substantially equal portion of the total weight falls oneach point of support, thatisto say, on each mower, and hence an equalamount falls on each wheel of each mower, sothat' equal traction isprovided for all the wheels under all conditions of use and allconditions of ground surface. rlhis 4non-varying distribution of theweight on the several groundwheels safeguards the machine from injuringthe turf, because it avoids the possibility of temporary overload on anyone wheel which might cause it to cut ya rut,l and for the same reasonit eliminates the necessity of making the wheel treads wider thannecessary for traction purposes, to avoid the consequences of overload,and thereby'it minimizes the rolling down action the said wheels have onthe grass to be cut. While it is plainly preferable for these and otherreasons to construct the machine, as stated, with the points of supportin a fixedrelationship, and to dispose each such point so, as toequalize the weight it transmits to itstwo ground wheels, under allconditions, it is nevertheless to be observed that variant arrangementsapproximating such exact proportioning will manifestly also utilize theessential principles thereof, and except las distinctly specified in theclaims, there is no limitation hereinto the precise arrangement of,parts described. i

i The pivotal connections between the superposed frame and its severalmower units are desirably formed at the level of the axles, as, forexample, by `the engagement of the crotches with the top surfacesthereof, because the equalization of weight on the ground wheels isthereby most effectually preserved and throughout a wider angleof.

or units, as in the cases illustrated. Such joint can very obviouslyalso be incorporated `at other points in the frame structure withoutmaterially sacrificing any of the principal advantages of the invention.

As an incident to the forward action of mower units of thisr kind, therear end of the unit has a lifting tendency imparted to it by thedriving effect of its ground wheels upon its rotary cutter, whichinterferes ,with the uniformity of pressure of the wiper roller llO to apoint tion, however, this tendency and its consequences are efectuallyprevented by the application of spring or yielding pressurey ex-M Suchpressure is ap-fJ-Jl plied by means of a lever 20, rigidly attached tothe ,frame-work of the unitand erted upon the unit.

extended forwardly beyond the wheel axis of connection with one end of aspring 21. As indicated in Fig. l, the lever 20 is disposed at thecenter of the unit and forked to accommodate the bearing post 15thereof, the forked members being formed to clasp the axle 14 and seatby their rear ends upon an angle-iron cross-bar 22, securely fastened atits ends to the gear housings 24. By this means of attachment upwardpull on the forward end of the, lever 20 results in downward pressureupon the rear part of the unit, as will be evident, thus supplementingthe gravity of the unit by the amount of additional force applied to theend of the lever and thereby eEectively overcoming the tendency to kickup without increasing the weightto be drawn about by the horse. Theupper ends of the springs 21 of the two rear or trailer lawn mowers areconnected by threaded eye-bolts 27, to the forward ends of levers 25,both mounted on a rock-shaft 26, journaled on the upper side of the rearcross-piece and operated by the hand-lever 34, which lever is situatedat one end of the rock-shaft where it is at the side of the operatorsseat. Adjustment of the eye-bolts 27 serves to establish any desirednormal pressure '.jdffthe wiper rollers upon the ground, and 'adjustmentof the hand lever 34 serves to increase that pressure to such extent ascircumstances may require. The rear arms of the levers 25 are connectedby means of adjustable eye-bolts and the chains 31, to the rear part ofthe mower units, and serve to lift the wiper rollers from the groundwhenever the hand lever 34 is moved to a suiiicient extent in thedirection to release or diminish the pull of the spring 21. By means ofa notched quadrant 37 coperating with the latch on the hand lever 34,the cutting mechanism of the units may be set at different elevations,thereby enabling the operator to gage the height or length of the cut,making it eitherflong or short, as desired. or the units may be set andheld entirely above the range of cutting action to permit the machine tobe drawn from one field of operation to another without cutting. Theunits are Vvthus raised and held raised by the v positive action of thechains and lever connections, but are pressed downwardly by theresilient action of the spring, which is desirably under tensionWhenever the units are cutting grass. The forward mower unit is equippedwith a similar spring and raising means, identified by the samereferences, but the rock shaft, marked 35, is individual to that unitand the forward and rear arms of the lever 25 are offset sothat thechains connected to the latter will be disposed at one side of thereach-piece 10 in order to accommodate the turning of the front mower onits fifth wheel joint. The hand-lever 34 on the rockshaft 35 is likewisesupplied with a latch and notched quadrant 37, as in the case of therear mowers and for thesame purposes, and it is mounted on the same sideof the operators seat, but sufficiently spaced from the other lever toavoid interference in any position. j t? ln the modified form of Fig. 8the conf. struction and organization of the machine is generally thesame as that already described, excepting that the front cross-piece 45of the frame is supported o-n two mower elements c and 0l constitutingthe front row, and the rear cross-piece 47 is carried by a single mowerelement c constituting the rear row, and the reach-piece 43 is connectedby the king pin with the middle of the front cross-piece, to which theshafts 46 are also connected. In this form, ,an aperture 42 is providedin the reach-piede to accommodate the connection between the spring (notshown) of the rear mower tothe lever 44, which controls the pressurethereof, and

which serves to lift the rear cutter fromv'tdhe ground.

Although theinvention as shown in Figs. 1 to 8, and as aboveparticularlydescribed, is comprised of but three mower elements in the gang, iti's'vto be understood that the principle of the invention extends tomore than three un. fa larger number is desired. lt will'be' apparentthat if more draft power is available the cross-pieces 8 and 9 of themachine shown in Figs. 1 to 3, or the cross-pieces 45 and 47 of thatshown in Fig. 8 may be extended so that the desired number of mowers maybe attached to them. With such arrangement, it will only Ibe necessaryto arrange the individual mower elements with reference to each other,so that those in the lead will break, joint, or be arranged en echelonwith respect to those in the rear, so that those in the rear will cutthat portion of the swath not cut by those in the lead. Suchinodiication is shown 1n this eiiect being retained by yoking the mowerstogether in pairs as indicated by .Hi8-48, and yoking the central pointsof the yoke-strips together as indicated at dil-4:9. The points ot'connection between the various yoke-strips 49 and'flS are hinged so asto permit Vertical rockingl motion to the members 48,and in order toprevent undue strain upon the pivotal connections the main frame carriescrotched posts 50 connecting and bracing the yoke-piece 48 analogouslyto the drivingn posts 13,'already described. ln other respects, themower member elements are connected with their respective yoke pieces 48in the same manner and `by like connections as the mowers of Figs. l to-l are connected to their respective cross-pieces 8 and 9.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is:

l. ln agang mower, the.combination of a frame, a plurality of mowerelements on which the entire weight of said frame is supported, saidelements being arranged in rows, and means connecting the mower elementsto the frame whereby independent vertical angular movement on the partof each mower element is permitted without altering the amount of theweight of 'said frame that' is imposed on each mower element or changingthe location of the point on which it rests.

2. A lawn mowing machine consisting of a plurality of individual mowerunits, each unit having an aXle, said axles being so held.

centrally by a superimposed frame, that they are all free to oscillatein their respective vertical planes but are held rigidly to said planes.

3. In a gang lawn mowing machine, a plu-- rality of individual mowermembers, each member having two independently moving wheels connected byan axle, and a superimposed frame whose ,weight is supported upon saidaXles by supports located about midway between each pair of said wheels.

4. ln a lawn mower comprising a plurality of cutter units havingindependent ver tical angular movements, a frame carried wholly uponsaid units by supports so located upon the axles of said units that thesaid vertical movements \d,o not vary the proportionate amountgof theweight of said frame carried by each individual unit. y

5. ln a lawnf mowing machine, a plurality of mower units/each havingtwowheels a frame supported upon said wheels, an

\means whereby the weight of said frame is distributedin substantiallycontinuous :and unvarying proportion over each of said wheels. i Q

6. ln a mowing machine of the kind described, a plurality of rotarycutters, a superimposed frame, driving posts rigidly coninmate nected tosaid iframe and slidingly connectedl lto the cutters, and arranged toresist any backward thrust of the cutters, and to permit a verticalrocking motion of said members.

8. ln a mowing machine comprising driving wheels, a rotary cutter and arolling member upon which the weight of said cutter is partiallysupported, means for exerting a spring pressure upon the point ofcontact of the said rolling member with the ground. I

9. ln a mowing machine comprising driving wheels, a rotary cptter and arolling member upon which the `weight of said cutter ispartiallysupported,"means for exerting a spring pressureupon thev pointof contact of the said rolling member with the ground, and means wherebythe amount of said pressure may be varied.

l0. ln a lawn mowing machine, a plurality of, mower units having rotarycutters, a frame wholly carried upon said units, a lever mounted on saidframe, and connections whereby a plurality of said cutters may besimultaneously raised from or lowered toward the ground by said lever.

11. ln a lawn mowing machine, a frame, a plurality of mower unitsconnected to said frame, each unit having rotary cutters, a

hand lever attached to the frame, and means by which a plurality .ofsaid cutters may be simultaneously raised from or lowered toward theground and locked in various positions by the said lever, positively asregards downward movement and resiliently as regards upward movement ofsaid cutters with respect to the surface of the ground.

l2. ln a lawn mowing machine, the combination of a frame, a plurality ofindividual rotary cutters 'exibly connected to the frame, means forlowering and elevating the said cutters, means for producing a variabledownward pressure upon said cutters, and means whereby the action ofV lr 14. ln a lawn mowing machme, a frame,

a plurality of individual cutting members l3.30

Leiders iiexi'bly connected to the frame, springs connected to thecutters, levers so arranged as to operate the springs to exert pressureupon said cutters in a downward direction, and means whereby saidpressure may be varied.

15. In a lawn mowing machine, a frame, an individual cutting memberflexibly connected to the frame, a spring connected to the cutter, leverarms so arranged as to operate the spring to exert pressure upon saidcutter in a downward direction, means including a hand lever wherebysaid pressure may be varied, and means for holding said hand lever inpositions at various adjustments. e

16. A lawn mowing machine comprising two rows of mower elements with apivoted connection joining the said rows, said rows being held togetherbyy a superimposed frame resting upon the axles of said elements aboutmidway thereof, the said axles being held rigidly by the said frame totheir respective vertical planes while free to oscillate in said planes.

17. A gang lawn mower comprising a plurality of mower units, eachincluding ground wheels, and rotary cutter mechanism operated thereby, aframe arranged to carry the operator and supported solely 'by said mowerunits, the location of the supporting connections between said frame andunits being disposed to distribute substantially equal portions of theweight of said frame to each unit, and the location of said units withrespect to the said connections thereof with the frame being disposed todistribute the load thereon in substantially equal portions to theirground wheels.

18. A lawn mower comprising a gang of mower units providing threepivotal supporting points having a lixed relation each to the other andeach including ground wheels and a, rotary cutter, a frame uniting saidunits and carried thereby on said three pivotal supporting points. i

19. A gang lawn mower comprising a frame adapted to carry the operatorand provided with a fifth-wheel joint, a gang of mower units comprisingground wheels with rotary cutters operated thereby, and

supporting means for said frame disposedy upon said units to maintainsubstantially constant portions of the weight of saidv frame on each ofsaid ground wheels independently of the angle of the said fifthwheeljoint.

20. A gang lawn mower comprising a frame formed to support the operatorand including a fth-wheel joint, a gang of mower units on which theentire weight of said frame is borne, said unitsincluding supportingground wheels andt rotary cutter mechanism operated thereby in combinavtion with means forming the connection of said units to the frameadapted to' permit vertical movement of said ground wheeis toaccommodate undulating ground surface.

21. A gang lawn mower comprising a` gang of mower units disposed infront and rear positions and each including a pair of ground wheels androtary cutter mechanism dulating ground surface, and lever means` onsaid frame and connections therefrom to said units whereby the cuttingmechanism thereof may be raised from the ground.

23. A gang lawn mower, comprising in combination a gang of mower unitseach including ground wheels and rotary cutting mechanism operatedthereby, a frame carried on said units, the supporting connectionstherebetween being so disposed between the planes of the ground wheelsof said units that the latter may follow undulating ground surface, andmeans on thel frame for raising the cutting mechanism of one or more ofthe said units from the ground.

24. In a gang lawn mower, the combination of a plurality of mower unitseach having two ground wheels and an axle coinciding with the 'commonaxis of said wheels, and a frame resting on said axle and formingtherewith a pivotal joint about midway between the ground wheels.

25. In a gang lawn mower, the combination of a plurality of mower unitseach having two ground wheels, and a frame uniting said units and havingpivotal connection therewith, said connection substantially coincidingwith the common axis of the ground wheels of said units andsubstantially at the center of suchaxis.

26. In va gang lawn mower, a plurality of mower unlts comprising drivingwheels and rotary cutter mechanism operated therel by, and a framecarried by said units on three pivotal supporting points and providedwith a fifth-wheel joint in` vertical alinement with one of said points.

27. In a gang lawn mower, a plurality of mower units, having groundwheels and rotary cutters, a .frame having bearing connections theretoadapted to distribute substantially constant portions of the weight ofsaid frame to each unit, said connections adapting the units to followundulating ground surface and so disposed on said units as to impose asubstantially constant load on each ground wheel.

28. ln a gang lawn mower, a plurality of mower units each comprisingground wheels and rotary cutters, a frame having pivotal bearingconnections to said units which exert substantially constant pressure oneach unit and adapt the same to operate on undulating ground surface,means on "said frame for confining the pivotal movement of said units to'their respective vertical planes, and means on` the frame for raisingthe rotary cutters of said units fromthe ground.

29. Al gang lawn mower comprising in combination a gang of mower unitseach including ground wheels and rotary cutting mechanism, a frameuniting and spacing the units in denite arrangement and carried thereby,and means on said frame for determining the height of cut ei'ectedbysaid cutting mechanism.

30. A gang lawn mower comprising three mower units, each having groundwheels and rotary cutters, a frame supported on said units by means of asingle pivotal connection to each unit, and an operators seat on saidframe disposed vertically within the triangle formed by the saidconnections.

3l. ln `a lgang lawn mowerthe combination of a plurality of mower units,each having two groundy wheels and an axle .coin- 'ciding with thecommon axis of said wheels,

and a frame resting on said axles and having pivotal joints interposedbetween said axles and the frame and betweenthe planes l of the groundwheels of each of said units.

32. 1n a gang lawn mower a plurality of units comprising driving wheelsand rotary cutter mechanism operated thereby, and a frame carried bysaid units on three pivotal supporting points and provided with a fifthwheel joint located in the vertical plane of the axle of one of saidunits.

'83. 1n a gang lawn mowera plurality of mower units comprising drivingwheels and rotary cutter mechanism operated thereby,

. and a frame wholly carried by said units on pivotal supporting pointsand provided with means for permitting one of said units to assume adifferent horizontal angle from the others.

45. 1n a gang lawn mower aplurality of units, a superimposed framecarried thereby, each said unit comprising ground wheels and a wiperroller, a spring normally urging said wiper roller toward the ground,and controlling means for said units adapted for operation' in onedirection to support the roller against gravity, and in the otherdirection to increase the spring tension.

35. In af mowing machine a plurality of mowing units, a frame restingupon andA exibly connected to said units, and means wherebyv one of saidunitsmay assume intical angles with respect to the others.

/ 36. In a gang lawn mower, a mowingV unit, a frame flexibly connectedthereto and means connected to said frame and unit for exerting downwardyielding pressure upon the cutting mechanism of the latter.

`37. A main lawn mower, an oscillatorily mounted frame rearwardthereof-connected therewith, a cross beam on said frame, and trailerlawn mowers carried by said beam, the frames of said trailer lawn mowersbeing pivotally connected with said beam independent of each other. f

38. A main lawn mower, a frame rearward thereof connected therewith, across beam on said frame, andtrailer lawn mowers carried by said beam,the frames of said trailer lawn mowers being pivotally connected withsaid beam independent of each other and mountedfor oscillatory motions,and saddle like members on said beam freely embracing the frames of saidtrailer lawn mowers for vertically guidingthe latter in theiroscillatory motions.

means` whereby the front and rearr unitsv4 may assume differenthorizontal angles, means on said main frame for sustaining said mowerunit frames in elevated positions and means supplementing the weight ofthe units and exerting downward yielding pressure on the frames thereofland adapted to prevent the cutter mechanism from Jumpin upwardly when inaction.

40. A gang lawn mower comprising in combination a gan of mower unitseach including a groun wheel, a mower unit frame supported by said wheeland vertically movable with respect thereto, and rotary cutter mechanismjournaled in said mower frame, a main frame carried by and spacing saidunits in front and rear ositions andincluding means whereby the ront andrearunits may assume different horizontal angles, pivotal means wherebySaid units may independently assume varying vertical angles toaccommodate undulations in the ground surface, means on said main framefor sustaining saidunit frames and the cutter mechanisms thereof inelevated vpositions and means adapted to supplement Laro'zo 41. A ganglawn mower comprising in combination a gang of mower units eachincluding ground wheels and rotary cutting mechanism, a frame unitingand spacingR the units in definite arrangement,` means on said frame-for determining the height of out effected by said cutting mechanism,lever members applied to said units, and means for exerting pressureupon said members to force said cutting mechanism yieldingly to-V'l@ward the'ground.

In testimony whereof l ailix my signature in 'presence of two witnesses.

Witnesses:

WM. BAGGER, BENNETT S. J oNEs.

